Short stories of Affection from the world of Penguins
by NYC the Penguin
Summary: Just a little collection of short stories that I'm going to write over an unknown period of time. Inspiration never stops coming, and this little collection will never stop growing for long.
1. Shortie 1: Fireflies

**Hello, it's NYC here. This being my first story posted here, I do hope you guys like it! Oh, and I got Kowalski here too.**  
**Kowalski: I have to admit, you've done a great job with this one.**  
**Yes, yes I did.**  
**Kowalski: But did you really have to...**  
**(clamps his beak) Just leave it to the readers to look through it.**

**I do not own the Penguins of Madagascar.**

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This is the first of my Shorties, titled "Fireflies", after my favourite song (by Owl City) and inspiration for this story.  
Fireflies  
By NYCskipper  
Inspired by the song "Fireflies" by Owl City

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I watched as Private flipped another page on the picture book.  
"Ooh, fireflies!" he squealed, gazing at the pretty little lights printed on its pages. The sparkles sprinkled over them glittered under the glow of the incandescent light bulb hanging overhead.  
"Yes, those are fireflies," I told him, "Part of the bug family of insects and one of the few insects in this world capable of bioluminescence."  
"Kowalski, I don't think there is a need for that sort of knowledge for now," said Private, "I do wish I could see one of these little guys though..."  
"I hate to disappoint you, Private," I started, "but that's kind of impossible."  
"Why not?" Private asked, curious.  
"Fireflies live well in clean, unpolluted habitats," I explained, "They are extremely sensitive to any changes in their environment. With such a hazy a place as New York, I don't think we have a chance of finding one here."  
"But isn't Central Park full of trees?" Private objected, "They're sure to keep the air clean and fresh! There's got to be fireflies in there!"  
"Private, I don't think our trees here are enough," I shook my head, "Compared to all the smoke and toxic gas our cars emit daily, our trees barely do anything to improve the air quality, even in the park. Finding fireflies in New York is just wishful thinking."  
Private sighed, knowing that this was a battle he would never win. I suddenly had a bad feeling that I shouldn't have objected so strongly against him. I mean it may, just may, be possible for the trees in Central Park to purify the air enough for fireflies to reside comfortably. But I hadn't believed in that possibility. Still, I felt rather remorseful.  
"Tell you what, Private," I said, "Maybe I will go on a little firefly hunt. After all, who can trust the orders of Mother Nature? She might even send a few fireflies tonight."  
Private brightened up. "Really?"  
"Uh... Yeah," I shrugged.  
With a joyful cry, the young penguin wrapped his flippers around me.  
"Thank you, Kowalski," he whispered.

* * *

With a butterfly net in one flipper and a glass jar in the other, I tiptoed through the bushes of Central Park, all the while feeling like an idiot. Why did I even consider that my theory could be correct? There was no way I could find a singly firefly in this polluted city. But Private was waiting for me to return with a jar containing at least one bioluminescent bug, and I didn't like the idea of disappointing him.  
"Where are you hiding, little firefly?" I muttered, scouring the surrounding bushes. Not a single spot of light could be seen. I threw down my new in frustration.  
"Gah! This is impossible," I complained, "This air is so polluted, not even all the trees of five Central Parks could clean it!"  
Defeated, I sat down next to the bushes, staring at the pitch-black sky.  
That's when it happened.  
One of the street lamps in the park flickered, then buzzed out. This was followed by a series of other lamps all flickering out, throwing that section of Central Park into darkness.  
"Curses," I swore, "It's a blackout! I should have taken along those night-vision goggles..."  
Feeling around, I found my net and jar and tries to find my way back to the Zoo, but to no avail.  
"I'm lost!" I realized, "This is bad..."  
At that moment, a tiny flicker of yellow-green light lit up a patch of grass in front of me. Bending down for a closer look, I immediately recognized the source of this light.  
It was a single, glowing firefly.  
I stand corrected, I thought. I raised my net, ready to capture it, when another firefly blinked its own yellow-green light on and danced before my eyes.  
I stood up and watched, transfixed, as the two fireflies were joined by tens, no, hundreds of tiny, blinking fireflies, all hovering in the air like the stars had decided to move into the bottom of the troposphere.  
"I don't believe it!" I finally gasped in awe, "It is possible for fireflies to live in Central Park!"  
Several fireflies flew into my jar and settled down inside. Seeing my chance, I immediately clapped a lid on top of it (with breathing holes, of course). Then, with the help of the fireflies' light, I slowly navigated my way back to the zoo.

* * *

Private sat, waiting, on the artificial island. I entered our habitat quietly, so as to not startle him.  
"Hello," I greeted him, settling down next to him.  
"Did you find any fireflies?" Apparently, he was getting a little impatient.  
I showed him the jar.  
Private made a little cry of surprise. "You actually did it, Kowalski!"  
He lay down, watching as yellow-green lights danced around the glass jar, smiling with pure happiness. I smiled, too. Private's happiness is rather infectious.  
"You know, now that you've seen real fireflies," I said, "would it be too much to release them into their natural habitat? They would like it better there."  
Private hesitated.  
"That's alright," he beamed, "As long as they are happy, I'm happy too!"  
He carefully picked the jar up and gingerly lifted the lid. The fireflies flew out, doing a dainty little firefly ballet in the air. One flew onto Private's beak, making him giggle.  
"Goodbye, fireflies," he whispered to it, gently brushing it off.  
Silently, we sat on the island, watching as our fireflies slowly danced their way back into the fresh, clean air of Central Park.

THE END

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**Kowalski: That should earn you a decent number of readers, I hope.**  
**Same.**  
**Kowalski: Please review!**


	2. Shortie 2: The Payphone

**Kowalski: Well, we have one review.**  
**It's better than nothing, Kowalski.**  
**Kowalski: Touche.**  
**Well, here's my second story for this week. Enjoy, readers!**

**I do not own the Penguins of Madagascar.**

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Here's the second of the many other stories I'm going to place here in the forseeable future. Enjoy!

The Payphone  
By NYCskipper  
Inspired by the song "Payphone" by Maroon 5

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I slipped the coin into the slot and watched as it rolled into the deep, dark abyss inside which is the coin-holding cell, or at least that's what I saw it as. Then I picked up the sleek black receiver and listened for the dial tone.  
There was a single, long, beep.  
As if my life depended on it, I quickly dialled the number in. The dial tone abruptly stopped, then was replaced by a shorter, ringing tone.  
"Please pick up..." I begged once again to the phone on the other end, "I've already lost count of how many pennies I've spent on you..."  
The ring tone persisted.  
"Come on, I know you don't like me wasting money on you..."  
The ring tone continued.  
"Oh please, don't you know I'm already begging you to pick up here?"  
The ring tone was still ringing. It was only mere seconds before that recorded voice denied me again...  
"Hello?"  
Hearing that voice, I almost wanted to cry with joy. She had finally picked up at last! But I stayed composed. I didn't want her to think I had gone mad. No can do.  
"Finally, you picked up."  
"So that mystery caller who's left fifteen messages on my answering machine was you."  
"Yes, that was me."  
"Are you using that payphone again? I already told you, if you want to call me you could either get a phone of your own, or just visit me."  
"I find using the payphone more convenient."  
"Convenient? The last time I saw you, you were definitely not going for convenient. I spent quite some time dealing with the debris you left behind."  
"Oh, sorry. I had big fish to fry then. Wasn't paying much attention."  
"Well then, since this is your 16th try, and most successful attempt at this payphone by far, what did you want to tell me?"  
"Uh, I just wanted to tell you about my time here."  
"Interesting. And by 'here', you do mean Central Park Zoo, right? Not like the last time, when you told me you were in Shanghai, and I thought you were joking."  
"I really was in Shanghai back then. Kind of got into a jam there, and I do not want to elaborate."  
"Hmm, I'm not going on about Shanghai then. Go on."  
"Aren't you going to ask about it?"  
"Fine. How's life over there?"  
"Too vague."  
"Hmm, how's the team?"  
"They're doing a bang-up job. A little messed up without me, but they're great all the same."  
"How's your day been, then?"  
"Oh, uh... We just commenced Operation: Squeaky Clean."  
"Pardon?"  
"We just cleaned up the HQ."  
"Oh, you gave me a fright there, I thought you were going to clear the Zoo of unwanted animals. I hope you haven't been getting into trouble with the lemurs."  
"What? Of course not!"  
"Well, something in your voice tells me you have."  
"Fine. I have. Just.. Don't ask about it, ok?"  
"If that's what you want, dear. Anything else you want to, erm, report on?"  
"Not that I can think of, except that I'm fine, thank you, no cause for worry."  
"That's my little Skippy."  
"Don't call me Skippy."  
"If that's what you want. Ooh, the oven just went. I need to check up on dinner. Bye! I look forward to your next call, and I do hope you don't use that payphone again!"  
"Yes, Mom. Bye."  
I replaced the receiver on the payphone. I had did it, finally. Pulling out that to-do list I had been keeping for the last week, I ticked off the last and final job I had to do.

THE END

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**Kowalski: I had to notice that this one was shorter than the last one.**  
**So you want me to do a double-length the next time, Kowalski?**  
**Kowalski: Eh... Something like the first one will do.**  
**Please review!**


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